Adjustable spring roller shade



June a, 1933. R P, MATT 1,912,379

ADJUSTABLE SPRING ROLLER SHADE Filed Nov. 19. 1952 I l/ll 1/11 frag/viv- Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PETER P. MATT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI ADJUSTABLE SPRING- ROLLER SHADE Application filed November 19, 1932. Serial No. 643,347.

My invention relates to improvements in spring-roller shades, and more particularly to means whereby they may be adjusted to have the bottom of the shade cloth stop at any predetermined point of travel.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for said adjustment, operable without taking the shade cloth off the roller and re-tacking the same, but upon the contrary is effected while the shade is in place at the window, and supported in its brackets in the usual manner.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means of the kind described, 5 which will be neat and inconspicuous, simple in construction and operation, economical, and efficient, durable and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable.

An added feature of the construction of my invention is that the same will not interfere in any way with the normal and usual manner of operation of the shade while in place, the adjustment being made by simply turning the roller in its brackets until the bottom of the shade cloth lifts to the desired point.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, combination of parts, and uses herein mentioned, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the same;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 4; is an end view of the same; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein I have shown some of the preferred embodiments of the invention, there is shown a window shade of the spring- 50 roller type, wherein the spring is tensioned prior to hanging the shade, and then pulling the shade in one direction will further wind the spring, while releasing the shade so that it moves in the opposite direction will permit the unwinding of the spring to assist in said movement of the shade and accelerate the same, this form of construction and operation being well-known to all.

The shade roller comprises the member 1 whose length is approximately that of the opening over which the shade cloth is to move, the cloth being indicated at 2, one end of the cloth being secured to said roller in any desired manner, generally by tacking at spaced points. Gudgeonsor spindles 3 and at project from opposite ends of the roller, the same being adapted to be received in the brackets 5 for detachably mounting the shade at said opening. One of said spindles 3 may be of circular cross section so as to 7 rotate freely in its cooperating bracket 5, while the other spindle is flattened or otherwise non-circular in cross section so as to interlock with its cooperating bracket and not rotate relative thereto.

The spindle 4 has a circular cross-section neck portion 6, and adjacent thereto has one or more teeth 7 A tension spring, as the coil spring 8 coacts between the spindle 4 and the roller, one end of said spring being secured to said spindle, and the other be' ing secured either directly to said roller or to some element fixed thereto, so that rotation of the roller in one direction while holding the spindle at fixed, as in its bracket, will coil the spring to wind the latter, and relative rotation in the reverse direction will unwind said spring. It will be noted that the spindle 4 may be provided with an elongated extension, extending within the roller, and upon which the spring is wound.

Pawls or dogs 9 are carried by the roller, as on the element 10, to interlock with the teeth 7 in one direction of relative rotation of the spindle, but ratchet thereover in the reverse direction of rotation, the carrier 10 preferably encircling and having its bearing on the neck portion 6 of the spindle 4. A cap or cover 11 may be received over the end of the roller having the spindle 4: and its associated and cooperating parts, to hold the same against accidental displacement.

The structure as just set forth is generally well known and no claim is made thereto, and adjustment of the shade must be made by removal of the cloth and re-tacking of the same.

Due to many different kinds of causes, as for example, varying cross-sections of rollers, warping or rollers, varying thickness of shade cloth material, changes in position of the roller and the teeth 7 etc., it is impossible to hang two or more shades of this spring-roller type, so that they will have their lower or free ends stopping at any preferred or predetermined point, as for example, at the mid-rail of the window. In other words, in practically every instance, one of the shades will stop either slightly above or slightly below said desired point. Heretofore, the only way of correcting or adjusting this inequality of length, was by taking the shade cloth off the roller and retacking it at a different place around the roller. Often, several removals and replacements had to be made before the shades will stop uniformly at the same height. Obviously, this procedure requires a great waste of time, and must remain a hit and try method.

My invention overcomes this objection, as adjustment may be made without removing the shade from the brackets, or from the roller, and is done simply by pulling the cloth slightly past the desired point, and then re-winding the roller by hand for the inch or so to bring it back to precisely the predetermined point at which the bottom of the shade cloth is to reach. Even after the shades have been hung perfectly, changes may occur to cause the unevenness above referred to, and if so, any re-adjustment may be made in the same manner as the first adjustment, and with similar saving in time.

The invention consists broadly in interposing a friction means intermediate the roller and the pawls or pawl carrier, so that this means will not interfere in any way with the normal operation of the shade, either when winding or unwinding movement takes 'lace. P Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 12 indicates a disk having prongs 13 for locking engagement with the roller 1, and the friction disk 14 is interposed intermediate the element 12 and the pawl carrier 10. A sleeve element 15 is positioned intermediate the spindle and the encircling parts, to ride on said spindle and draw the elements 10 and 12 into frictional engagement with the disk 14.

Now, the shade is pulled up or down in the usual manner, the downward pull on the cloth rotating the roller and its associated parts except the spindle 4 to cause a further winding up of the spring, the pawls over-riding the teeth and adapted to lock against retractive effort of the spring in the well known manner. To move the shade cloth upwardly, or wind it on the roller, the cloth is first given a slight pull downwards and then, as the dogs are disengaged, the spring will retract the cloth upwardly to such point as it is desired to stop further movement, the frictional ele ment rotating with the other elements during either direction of rotation of the roller.

However, when it is desired to adjust the shade, so that the bottom of the cloth should stop at any preferred point of its travel, as at the mid-rail of the window, the shade is pulled down until it is slightly past said point, as for example, a half-turn of the roller therepast, and then stopped. Next, the coiled roller is grasped by the operator and rolled back, that is, in a direction of rotation in which the roller moves during the unwinding of the sprin This, however, does not disengage the pawls from engagement with the teeth of the spindle, and such manual rotation is stopped at the desired point. That completes the adjustment, and a subsequent raising or lowering of the shade will bring it to rest at that predetermined point, if desired.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the construction is substantially the same as that heretofore set forth, except that in addition, there is provided means for adjusting the frictional contact of the element 14, as by providing adjusting screws 16. This will compensate for any looseness occasioned through wear or the like.

In Fig. 5, another form of adjusting means is shown, the same comprising the disk or ring 14 interposed between the pawl carrier element 10 and the adjacent end of the roller itself, and is a simplified form of construction adapted to a certain type of roller construction.

Obviously, the frictional element may be interposed at other points than those described, the only important thing being that the same shall be between the pawl carrier and the roller, so that the roller maybe rolled manually without releasing the pawls from engagement with the teeth of the spindle.

' Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various other modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction, and combination of parts herein shown and set forth, except as limited by the state of theart to which this invention appertains, and the claims hereunto appended.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a shade roller of the kind described, having a spring-wound supporting spindle and locking pawls therefor carried by said roller so that rotation of the roller in one direction increases the spring tension and opposite rotation decreases said spring tension, of friction means operably engageable intermediate said pawls and roller whereby the latter may be rotated adj ustably in one direction while the pawls remain locked with said spindle.

2. The combination with a shade roller having supporting spindles at the ends and a roller operating spring secured between said roller and one of said spindles, of a pawl member between said roller and spindle to lock with the latter in one direction of rotation of the roller, and means frictionally engageable between said pawls and roller to normally hold said pawls fixed while permitting rotation of the roller in one direction only to rotationally adjust the same while supported.

3. The combination of a shade roller of the kind described having bracket-engaging supporting spindles, one of said spindles being rotatable within its cooperating bracket and the other being locked against rotation therein, and a spring operably secured at one end to said second spindle and at its other end to said roller so that rotation of the roller in one direction while supported in said brackets will wind said spring and rotation in the opposite direction will unwind said spring, with locking pawls between said roller and the sec ond spindle, and means frictionally engaging between said roller and pawls whereby the roller may be rotated in said last-mentioned direction while said pawls remain locked.

4. The combination with a spring-wound shade of the kind described having locking pawls, of constant friction means operably inserted between the roller and the locking pawls whereby the roller may be adjustably rotated while mounted in place, to raise the shade cloth to any predetermined height.

5. The combination with a spring-wound shade having locking pawls, of means for adjusting the shade while mounted in place so that the lower end of the shade cloth will stop at any predetermined height, and comprising friction means between the roller and said locking pawls.

6. The combination with a shade roller of the kind described, having a winding spring, a supporting spindle operably secured thereto, and locking pawls carried by said roller and engageable with said spindle, of a member frictionally engaging between said pawls and roller whereby the roller may be rotated in only one direction while said locked pawls and roller are held in fixed relation.

7. The combination with a shade roller of the kind described, having a winding spring, a supporting spindle operably engaging said spring, locking pawls engaging said spindle, and a pawl carrier element, of a disk interposed between said element and roller to normally hold them in fixed relation while permitting of adjustable rotational movement therebetween.

hold them in fixed relation while permitting adjustable rotational movement of the pawls to any position around the roller, and means for adjusting the degree of frictional contact of said friction element.

PETER P. MATT. 

